Equal pay is starting to close the equity and gender wage gap for part-time, temporary, contract and casual employees. Ontario has become the first jurisdiction in Canada to offer paid sick days and personal emergency leave to all workers. We have new union rights that will make it easier for many workers to form unions. And on top of all that, a $15 minimum wage and fairer scheduling rules are coming on January 1, 2019.

But we can’t stop now. Big Business is fully mobilized to roll back our wins and cancel our $15 minimum wage. We can’t let them get away with it (click here to take action now).

As we predicted, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce has now officially called on the Ontario government to repeal Bill 148, the legislation that enacted our paid sick days, equal pay for equal work, union rights, and so much more.

Right now we need everyone's help to protect our hard-won rights. Take a minute right now to send an email to Doug Ford and your local Member of Parliament (click here). Our new online tool comes with a pre-drafted message you can edit, and it will automatically find your local representative based on your address.It’s urgent we remind the new government they must put our need for decent work, ahead of corporate interests.

Truth is, when it comes to denouncing Bill 148, the Chamber of Commerce has been consistently wrong. They were wrong when they argued that a higher minimum wage would lead to the loss of 185,000 jobs, in fact, Statistics Canada data show Ontario gained that many jobs (source: RankandFile). They were wrong when they said our new labour laws would increase unemployment, when in fact, Ontario’s unemployment rate is at its lowest level in 18 years (source: Globe and Mail). They were wrong when they said employers would all cut back hours, when in fact the sectors that rely on low-wage labour have seen a growth in hours worked, including a 6% increase in the food services and hospitality sectors (source: Toronto Star).

Clearly, the facts matter little to rich CEO’s like Galen Weston (Loblaws) or Rocco Rossi, of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. It’s time we tell Big Business lobbyists that Ontarians are done subsidizing their cheap labour practices.

Here’s what you can do:

Come out to a local Labour Day action! Check out events happening today across Ontario (click here). If you are in Toronto, don't miss this morning's Labour Day Parade (sign up here).

Find an upcoming action to join, if you can’t come out to Labour Day events click here to join an action in your community.

Order window sign/s, lawn sign/s or a banner to show your support on campus, at your workplace, or in your neighbourhood (select your swaghere).

Donate to the Fight On! Fund for $15 & Fairness to fuel our organizing (click here to make a contribution). Rich CEOs and corporate lobbyists are a tiny minority. But they have plenty of money to donate to political parties and amplify their message in the media. We have people power, but we need more resources to spread our message and organize a powerful movement that can beat back the Big Business bullies. If every worker benefitting from our new laws made a modest financial contribution each month to the Fight for $15 and Fairness, it would make a huge difference to our ability to organize the 66% majority who want, need and deserve a $15 minimum wage and decent work. Will you make a contribution now? Rest assured, no amount is too small. We will make excellent use of every penny we receive.